The undocumented immigrants deported under Trump

AJ+ travelled to Arizona and Mexico to see how undocumented immigrants are being detained and deported under Trump.

by

Shadi Rahimi

Arizona has long been Ground Zero for immigration battles - as a state with one of the harshest immigration laws in the country, Senate Bill 1070.

In the state capital Phoenix, immigrant rights groups spent the past two decades battling Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was notorious for racial profiling, late-night raids and a "tent city" outdoor prison. Arpaio was voted out last year.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has cracked down hard on immigrants. His executive orders expanded the authority of immigration officers and are expected to increase the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Under the Obama administration, those prioritised for deportation included undocumented immigrants who threatened public safety or national security or committed serious felony offences. Under Trump, the definition of "criminal" has been expanded and a single immigration officer has the ability to make that call.

AJ+ travelled to the cities of Phoenix and Eloy, in Arizona, and to Nogales, Mexico, to see how undocumented immigrants are being arrested, detained and deported under President Trump.